I'm Just A Gal That Can't Say "NO"!

I've been up to my pits in volunteer options. It's difficult for me to turn down ANY opportunity to hang with the fuzz! (Good Lord I am old! No one says 'fuzz' anymore!).

Two weeks or so ago I was "helping" with a RAD class. Mostly I stood around and kept an eye on some gals even older than me hoping to catch them if they toppled over. They did let me film the final exam phase and that was cool.

RAD is one of Sheriff Thomas' pet projects and a wonderful program for women only. It's all very hush-hush with lots of female only high signs and special handshakes so I can't get into specifics, but the gist of it is to teach women to be more aware of their surroundings and watchful for imminent threats to their person. The ladies in the class just lap it all up like it was melted ice cream. They LOVE learning how to NOT be a victim.

I'm going to help with RAD again in a couple of weeks.

Last night I begged a ride to Kingwood to help with the current Harris County Citizen Police Academy class. I can't even say what number that class is because I flat out didn't think to find out. I graduated from Class 10 and they are probably up to 23 or 24 now.

They asked for a bunch of volunteers to help with "scenarios" and I got to be a "happy drunk" in the passenger seat with the male "happy drunk" driver. Then inside the building he and I were paired as a sister who called the police and her crazy brother. He had a plastic gun hidden and "killed" all but one of the deputies that responded. The only one that survived was the one that hustled ME out in the hallway to get me out of their way!

I had a ball! I was worn out by the time I got home last night and my forearms are covered with "bruises". I guess they are called bruises. The older I get the thinner my skin is and all you have to do is stare at it hard and it colors up! I also had a small skin tear that had to have a band-aid to stop the bleeding. I didn't want to show the brass in charge for fear they'd get all weirded out about the potential for liability, but thought it was probably better to ask for first aid than to bleed on the students!

I'll probably volunteer again for scenarios as it was fun! I'm quite the ham it seems! There were 16 or so of us that showed up to help and that was good because we saved the department a LOT of money as they usually used deputies for the role playing. There were scads and scads of deputies there as it was. I'm sure people driving by wondered what in the heck was going on with all the cruisers with flashing lights on and the staging of the 8 to 10 or so scenarios much less all the people in the parking lot of the 2nd Baptist Church!

The finale outside is the felony stop complete with sirens and a loud speaker. That involved 3 of the volunteers in one car being stopped by a half dozen or so patrol cars. The deputies all had to lock their real weapons up and use the red plastic handguns. One of the students wondered if the deputies felt silly advancing with their red guns outstretched. I was told later that they really felt silly before the use of the plastic guns when they just held their hands together and simulated the use of a weapon. The students were all abuzz with excitement watching the drama unfold.

You know...the more I know about Harris County's public service activities the more proud I am to be a resident of Harris County!


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